Blog

 It’s not complexity that kills us, it's randomness.

That’s according to neuroscientist Carmen Simon, who masterfully shares how to engage an audience in her latest book, Made You Look.

People will put up with complex ideas in a document or presentation  – indeed, they may thirst for them – but if they are communicated haphazardly, they’ll tune out.

How you structure your ideas is just as important as the ideas themselves.

“The less energy they expend on your prose, the more they’ll have left for your ideas.” - Paul Graham

Making something difficult to understand says more about the writer’s limitations than the reader’s.

You know this already.

So where are you putting your time and effort as a communicator?

Because there are two parts to this dance.

• How you communicate. 
• What you communicate. 

Don’t ruin your what by your how.

When you light one candle on a birthday cake, your task is straightforward .

You have plenty of time before the match goes out and it’s easy for the recipient to blow out, too.

When you light 10 candles, things are more difficult. You have to avoid being singed by the match as well as the forest of candles.

Your recipient has more of a task, as well. Big breath to get it done.

 When we share an idea, either in person or in writing, we tend to approach it like lighting 10...

Are you providing too much detail or not enough?

People say they want information, right? But what's the right level of information to share?

Behavioural expert Bri Williams shares how to approach the issue of information, including why people think they need it and why they actually do.

More about Just Do This: www.briwilliams.com/about-just-do-this

I’ve been going deep on language lately 

Knowing what to say and how to say it.

Partly because I’ve created a “scripting tool” for my Just Do This members, where I’ve written sample scripts for everything from getting past the gatekeeper and dealing with time wasters, to fielding complaints and chasing late payers. 

Partly because I’ve been creating my “Dealing with D!ckheads” webinar (recording exclusively available to...

Do you write annoying emails? Do you receive them? Poorly written emails irritate both the recipient, who resents the interruption, and the sender, who gets frustrated by a lack of response.

So how to get them right? I’m about to take you through five real-life examples that illustrate traps to avoid and how to better engage your intended reader.

I’ve redacted the details of the sender because in no way is this intended to criticise them personally....